>*■*■*? 

v 


ffre  appropriate  Julies  of  C|ristiair  females, 


|n  f  «btit  and  .fodat  Worship. 


iVlST  ESSAY, 


READ  BEFORE  THE 


Hawaiian  Evangelical  Association. 


BY  REV.  T.  COAN. 


HONOLULU : 

VTJTBX^ISHKr*  BY  REQUEST.. 
1862. 


%  $propate  Duties  of  Christian  females, 


ft*  fhtMic  attd  Social  ^ocjship. 


.YN  ESSAY, 


HEAD  BEFORE  THE 

Hawaiian  Evangelical  Association. 


BY  REV.  T.  COAN. 


HONOLULU : 

PUBLISHED  BY  REQUEST. 
1862. 


AN  ESSAY. 


Wha  1  Ai’e  and  Wliat  Are  jSTo  t  some  of  tlie 
Appropriate  IPotilio  and  Social 
Duties  of"  Christian. 

Females  ? 


The  discussion  of  this  subject  calls  for  candor,  a  rever¬ 
ence  for  truth,  independence  and  Christian  charity.  Dog¬ 
matism  and  censoriousness  never  promote  the  development 
of  truth  or  secure  the  purity,  unity  and  power  of  the 
church. 

Fixed  habits  of  thought,  a  stereotyped  education,  honest 
prejudices,  pious  convictions,  and  a  positive  mode  of  dealing 
with  disputed  subjects,  are  often  but  so  many  disturbers  of 
that  humble  docility,  that  patient  investigation,  and  that 
modest  candor,  which  lead  the  soul  into  the  regions  of  light. 

The  subject  of  this  Essay  is  one  on  which  the  minds  of 
the  purest  and  best  men  have  been  divided  during  nearly 
the  whole  period  of  the  Christian  church.  And  this  differ¬ 
ence  of  sentiment  will  probably  continue  until  the  ransomed 
cease  to  walk  amidst  the  starlight  and  the  moonbeams  of 
truth  and  come  into  the  more  perfect  effulgence  of  the  Sun 
of  .Righteousness.  Or  in  other  words,  have  a  great  increase 
of  knowledge  and  holiness. 

With  the  writer’s  want  of  leisure  and  facilities  and  ability 
to  give  the  subject  a  thorough  investigation,  he  has  not  the 
presumption  to  suppose  that  he  will  enlighten  his  learned 
hearers,  or,  perhaps,  change  the  opinions  of  any  one.  But 
by  Divine  aid,  he  hopes  to  avoid  discourtesy,  cant,  invective, 
censoriousness,  and  all  that  is  inconsistent  with  Christian 
candor,  respect  and  love  for  any  who  may  differ  with  him 
in  opinion. 

We  now  propose  the  following  inquiries  : 

I.  May  females  take  upon  them  the  office  of  ordained 
ministers  and  pastors  in  the  church  ? 

II.  In  what  ways  may  they  exercise  spiritual  gifts  in  the 
interests  of  the  church  ? 


3 


111.  How  are  we  to  understand  the  language  of  Paul  in 
1  Cor.,  14:  34,  35,  and  in  1  Tim.,  2:  11,  12 — “Let  your 
women  keep  silence,”  etc.,  and  “  Let  the  women  learn  in 
silence,”  etc.  ? 

1.  May  females  become  ordained  ministers  ami  pastors  in 
the  Christian  church  ? 

To  this  we  reply  :  1.  We  find  no  commands,  arrange¬ 

ments  or  instructions  to  this  effect,  either  in  the  Old  Testa¬ 
ment  or  the  New.  Men  are  set  apart  to  this  office — as 
Melchizedeck,  Aaron  and  his  sons,  and  the  Apostles,  with 
their  fellow-laborers  and  successors. 

2.  Nor  do  we  find  it  as  a  practice  either  under  the 
Hebrew  or  the  Christian  dispensation.  Not  a  single  case  of 
this  kind  stands  recorded  in  the  Old  Testament  or  the  New. 
There  were  no  female  priests,  or  apostles,  or  bishops,  or 
elders. 

3.  We  think  also  that  early  church  history  goes  to  the 
same  point.  In  all  the  more  ancient  annals  of  the  church 
of  the  Lord  Jesus,  we  find  no  examples  of  the  consecration 
of  females  to  the  office  of  bishop  or  pastor. 

4.  Nature  and  Providence  are  against  suck  an  arrange¬ 
ment. 

God  has  created  the  female  with  a  delicate  physical 
organization,  and  this  fact  indicates  a  design  of  Providence. 
Woman  is  not  adapted  to  those  exposures  which  often  come 
upon  the  pastor,  the  evangelist,  and  the  missionary  of  the 
Cross. 

As  the  surgeon,  the  attorney,  the  statesman,  the  forest 
pioneer,  the  scientific  explorer,  the  civil  engineer,  the  archi¬ 
tect,  the  rail-road  contractor,  the  shipmaster,  and  the  naval 
and  military  commander,  are  usually  selected  from  the 
rougher  and  hardier  sex;  so  both  Nature  and  Providence 
teach  that  the  leader  of  “  the  Sacramental  host”  should  be  of 
the  male  sex,  who  can,  physically,  “endure  hardness  as 
a*gofld  soldier  of  Jesus  Christ.” 

Again — the  female  is  designed  to  be  the  wife,  the  mother, 
the  nurse.  Her  house  is  her  palace;  home  is  her  asylum  ; 
household  duties  are  her  sphere.  Here  Nature  calls  her, 
Here  Providence  binds  her.  She  is  to  “  marry,  bear  chil¬ 
dren,  guide  the  house.”  She  is  to  be  a  keeper  at  home  and 
a  keeper  of  home.  She  makes  home  ;  she  animates,  cheers, 


4 


brightens  it;  she  gives  it  all  its  charms  and  all  its  glory. 
Remove  her  to  the  stern  conflicts  of  the  outer  world,  and  'it 
is  like  removing  your  parlor-lamp  into  the  howling  storm 
without. 

Home  is  the  sanctuary  and  the  paradise  of  woman.  It  is 
the  little  heaven  where  angel-spirits  preside ;  where  she 
receives  the  storm-beaten  father ;  where  her  ready  hands 
minister  to  the  wants  of  all ;  and  where  her  radiant  love, 
her  pure  life,  and  her  holy  teachings  train  young  immortals 
for  a  brighter  world.  In  no  other  sphere  can  she  so  help 
the  man — so  promote  civilization,  refinement,  intelligence 
and  Christianity — so  adorn  and  ennoble  her  sex — so  honor 
her  calling,  and  so  educate  the  world  for  a  higher  life. 

II.  In  what  ways  may  females  exercise  spiritual  gifts  in 
the  interests  of  the  church  ? 

They  may  become  the  wives  of  ministers  and  missiona¬ 
ries.  They  may  travel  with  Christian  ministers,  assist 
them  in  their  labors,  and  minister  to  their  wants.  This  was 
common  in  the  days  of  our  Savior  and  his  Apostles,  and  it 
has  been  practiced  among  all  evangelical  Christians  to  this 
day.  They  may  visit  the  sick,  the  poor,  the  stranger,  the 
widow,  the  fatherless  and  the  friendless.  They  may  enter 
the  alms-house,  the  hospital,  the  prison,  the  Magdalen  asy¬ 
lum,  the  house  of  correction,  and  other  places  of  want  and 
sorrow  and  sin.  Like  Dorcas  and  like  deaconesses  in  the 
early  ages  of  the  church,  they  may  minister  comfort  to  all 
in  distress.  Like  angels  of  mercy,  they  may  watch  at  the 
couch  of  pain,  and  drop  a  tear  on  the  shroud  and  the  sod  of 
the  departed.  They  may  also  counsel,  teach  and  edify 
those  who  need  these  Christian  offices ;  and  they  may  pray 
with  and  for  those  who  need  or  who  desire  their  prayers. 
They  may  confer  with  one  another,  and  with  Christians 
and  ministers  on  all  subjects  connected  with  the  ameliora¬ 
tion  of  human  misery,  the  progress  of  knowledge,  and  the 
triumphs  of  the  Gospel  in  the  world.  They  may  teach 
Sabbath  Schools  and  Bible-classes,  and  in  a  thousand  other  * 
ways  indulge  their  Christian  sympathies  and  exercise  then- 
talents  for  the  honor  of  their  Lord  and  the  well-being  of 
man.  In  the  great  field  of  philanthropic  and  Christian 
enterprise,  there  is  ample  scope  for  the  development  and 
free  exercise  of  all  their  genial  and  varied  heaven-inspired 


5 


powers,  physical  and  spiritual.  No  one  need  be  indolent 
for  want  of  work,  and  no  one  need  murmur  for  want  of  a 
sphere  of  labor  adapted  to  her  physical  and  moral  condition. 
But  we  proceed  further  to  say,  that,  from  a  somewhat  care¬ 
ful  examination  of  the  Scriptures  and  of  Christian  history, 
we  are  of  the  opinion  that  pious  and  intelligent  females  may 
preach  and  pray  and  prophesy  in  the  presence  of  the  other 
sex. 


By  preaching,  we  do  not  mean  only  that  form  which  is 
technically  called  preaching,  and  which  is  limited  to  a 
logically  framed  discourse,  delivered  from  a  pulpit,  and 
usually  called  a  sermon.  This  form  of  preaching  may,  per¬ 
haps,  be  left  to  the  regular  minister.  We  use  the  term 
preaching  in  a  more  comprehensive,  and,  as  we  think,  in  a 
more  Scriptural  sense.  In  this  wide  sense  to  preach  is,  to 
tell ,  to  inform ,  to  teach ,  to  proclaim,  to  publish.  While  it 
has,  we  trust,  been  shown  that  females  should  not  take  upon 
them  the  office  of  pastors  and  ordained  ministers  of  the 
Gospel,  still  it  may  be  true  that  they  may  exercise  the  same 
functions  and  perform  the  same  quiet  duties  which  are  per¬ 
formed  by  laymen.  They  are  often  spoken  of  in  the  New 
Testament  as  laboring  with ,  assisting,  helping  the  Apostles. 
And  the  language  used  is  just  such  as  would  be  employed 
in  Recording  the  fact  that  Luke  or  Philemon,  or  other 
Christian  laymen,  assisted  the  ministers  of  Christ  in  their 
spiritual  labors.  In  Rom.,  16:  3,  Paul  requests  the  saints 
to  “greet  Priscilla,”  his  “helper  in  Christ  Jesus.”  Also, 
in  verse  6,  “Greet  Mary,  who  bestowed  much  labor  on  us.’ 
In  verse  12,  “  Salute  Tryphena  and  Tryphosa,  who  labored 
in  the  Lord.  Salute  the  beloved  Persis,  who  labored  much 
in  the  Lord.”  In  Phil.,  4:  3,  Paul  says,  “I  entreat  thee 
also,  true  yoke-fellow,  help  these  women  who  labored  with 
me  in  the  Gospel.” 

It  were  easy  for  an  objector  to  say,  that  these  women 
#  a*sisfed  Paul  in  temporal  things,  and  not  in  preaching. 
Paul  often  mentions  the  temporal  comforts  bestowed  on  him 
♦  and  others  by  the  saints ;  but  he  never  speaks  in  such  a 
manner  as  to  confound  these  acts  of  kindness  with  Gospel 
help,  or  with  laboring  in  the  Gospel.  We  all  understand 
the  term  Gospel  to  mean  good  news  or  glad  tidings — and  of 
preaching  the  Gospel,  or  laboring  in  the  Gospel,  to  be  telling 


6 

or  proclaiming  this  good  news  to  man.  Thus  the  Angel 
preached  by  night  to  the  Shepherds  in  the  fields  of  Bethle¬ 
hem,  when  he  announced  the  advent  of  the  Messiah,  “Be¬ 
hold,  I  bring  you  good  tidings  of  great  joy,  which  shall  be  to 
all  people.”  And  whenever  a  pious  female  speaks  to  one, 
or  ten,  or  to  one  hundred,  whether  Jew  or  Greek,  whether 
male  or  female,  of  man’s  sin  and  woe,  and  of  God’s  mercy 
in  Christ  Jesus,  then  she  preaches.  Now  we  all  allow  her 
to  do  this  to  one  or  to  ten — may  she  not  do  it  to  a  hundred? 

We  allow  her  to  speak  to  men  on  the  great  theme  of  salva¬ 
tion,  and  in  a  great  variety  of  places  and  circumstances.  Is 
it  then  wrong  for  her  to  open  her  lips  in  a  mixed  conference 
or  prayer-meeting  ?  Almost  everywhere  we  listen  to  her 
voice  on  subjects  pertaining  to  this  life,  and  must  she  be 
dumb  on  the  all-important,  all-inspiring  subject  of  salvation 
through  Christ  ?  If  she  may  talk  in  mixed  company  on 
any  and  every  other  theme,  why  not  on  the  love  of  God  to 
dying  man  ?  It  must  be  confessed  that  this  distinction, 
without  any  obvious  reason,  appears  arbitrary  and  inconsist¬ 
ent;  and  its  tenacious  advocacy  has  troubled  thousands, 
and  driven  many  who  were  not  convinced  by  the  reasoning, 
to  take  refuge  under  authority  of  dogmatism. 

All  will  see  the  distinction  which  we  make  between  the 
public  ordained  preacher  or  pastor,  whose  official  position 
and  life-work  constitute  him  a  leader  in  the  church,  and 
those  quiet,  unostentatious  preachers,  whether  male  or 
female,  who  carry  the  Gospel,  with  all  its  healing  balm,  into 
many  a  social  circle  and  to  many  a  bleeding  heart. 

We  have  said  that  female  Christians  may  prophesy. 

By  this,  we  do  not  mean  that  kind  of  prophesying  which 
foretells  future  events,  and  which  may  be  called  supernatural, 
but  simply  that  which  is  synonymous  with  preaching  or 
exhortation.  A  true  definition  of  which  we  find  in  1  Cor., 

14 :  1-5,  “  Desire  spiritual  gifts,  but  rather  that  ye  may 
prophesy.  He  that  prophesieth  speaketh  unto  men  to  $&if<* 
cation  and  exhortation  and  comfort.  He  that  prophesieth  * 
edifieth  the  church.  Greater  is  he  that  prophesieth  than  he 
that  speaketh  with  tongues,  except  he  interpret,  that  the 
church  may  receive  edifying.”  Whoever,  then,  preaches  the 
Gospel  in  such  a  simple  and  plain  way  as  to  edify  and  com¬ 
fort  others,  prophesieth.  And,  according  to  the  Apostle, 


( 


this  is  a  gift  which  all  may  exercise.  As  in  1  Cor.,  14 :  24, 
“  But  if  all  prophesy,  and  there  come  in  one  that  believeth 
not,  or  one  unlearned,  he  is  convinced  of  all.” 

This  is  that  diffusive  and  universal  gift  of  the  Spirit  pre- 
dieted  by  Joel,  chap.  2  :  28,  “  I  will  pour  out  my  spirit  upon 
all  flesh,  and  your  sons  and  your  daughters  shall  prophesy. 

A  lucid  exposition  of  this  prediction  of  Joel  is  given  by 
Peter  on  the  day  of  Penetcost,  as  recorded  in  Acts  2  :  17, 
18,  “  And  it  shall  come  to  pass  in  the  last  days,  saith  God, 
that  I  will  pour  out  my  spirit  upon  all  flesh,  and  your  sons 
and  your  daughters  shall  prophesy.  And  on  my  servants 
and  on  my  handmaidens  will  I  pour  out  in  those  days  of  my 
spirit,  and  they  shall  prophesy/’ 

Now  we  observe  that  this  outpouring  of  the  Spirit  in  the 
Gospel  dispensation  was  not  to  be  confined  to  rank,  or  age, 
or  nation,  or  sex.  It  was  to  come  upon  11  all  flesh,”  that  is, 
upon  all  ranks  and  classes  of  men,  and  upon  male  and 
female. 

And  furthermore,  the  exercise  or  use  of  this  gift  of  the 
Spirit  was  not  to  be  restricted  to  rank  or  sex  or  nation. 
All  should  prophesy ;  or,  in  other  words,  all  should  speak 
of  the  love  of  God.  All  should  testify  of  the  great  salva¬ 
tion.  All  should  exhort,  edify  and  comfort  others.  Male 
and  female,  bond  and  free,  young  men  and  maidens,  sons 
arfcl  daughters,  all  should  unite  and  harmonize  in  spreading 
tke  glad  tidings  of  salvation.  And  this  was,  doubtless,  the 
blbssed  work  of  the  four  daughters  of  Philip  of  Cesarea,  as 
recorded  in  Acts  21:9,  “And  the  same  man  had  four 
daughters,  virgins,  who  did  prophesy.” 

So  also  we  find  the  aged  Prophetess  Anna  engaged  in  a 
like  exercise  when,  coming  into  the  Temple  in  Jerusalem 
on  the  occasion  of  the  circumcision  of  the  child  Jesus,  and 
in  the  presence  of  priests  and  of  a  multitude  of  people,  “she 
|  gave  thanks  to  the  Lord,  and  spoke  of  him  to  all  them  that 
'  for  redemption  in  Jerusalem.”  Luke  2  :  36-38. 

^  The  same  fact  is  distinctly  recognized  by  Paul  in  his  first 
I  letter  to  the  Corinthians,  chap.  11  :  5,  13,  “Every  woman 
that  prayeth  or  prophesieth  with  her  head  uncovered  dis¬ 
honored  her  head.  Is  it  comely  that  a  woman  pray  to  God 
uncovered?”  The  fact  that  females  prayed  and  exhorted 
;  in  public  is  distinctly  implied  in  these  verses.  It  is  also 


8 


clear  that  women  are  not  here  censured  for  the  act  of  thus 
praying  and  prophesying,  but  only  for  the  manner.  In  Acts 
1  :  14,  it  is  recorded,  “  These  all  continued  with  one  accord 
in  prayer  and  supplication  with  the  women,  and  Mary  the 
mother  of  Jesus,  and  with  his  brethren.”  It  is  probable 
that  the  women  here  mentioned  took  an  active,  audible  part 
in  praying  and  conversing  on  this  interesting  occasion;  but 
as  this  is  not  certain,  we  rest  no  argument  on  it. 

More  examples  might  be  adduced  bearing  on  the  same 
point,  but  the  foregoing  are  sufficient. 

Before  dismissing  this  point,  we  will  briefly  state  that 
Eusebius  testifies  that  in  the  first,  second  and  third  centu¬ 
ries,  women  were  in  the  habit  of  speaking  and  praying  in 
public  meetings.  Lightfoot,  Locke,  Dr.  Clarke,  and  many 
other  learned  men,  are  of  the  same  opinion.  And  it  may 
be  doubted  whether  the  contrary  can  be  proved  from  Scrip¬ 
ture  or  History  or  reason. 

III.  We  come  now  to  the  third  and  last  point  in  the  dis¬ 
cussion,  viz  :  What  are  tee  to  understand  by  the  passages  in 
1  Cor.,  14:  34,  35,  and  1  Tim.,  2:  11,  12?  “Let  your 
women  keep  silence  in  the  churches,  for  it  is  not  permitted 
unto  them  to  speak.  Let  the  women  learn  in  silence,  with 
all  subjection.  But  I  suffer  not  a  woman  to  teach  nor  to 
usurp  authority  over  the  man,  but  to  be  in  silence.”  v 
^  It  has  always  been  found  to  be  a  fact,  that  two  texts  of 
Scripture,  rightly  understood,  do  not  conflict  with  each  othe*v 
And  it  has  ever  been  a  rule  of  exegesis  with  wise  and 
honest  interpreters  of  the  Bible,  that  where  one  or  a  few 
texts  seem  to  contradict  other  and  plain  passages,  or  any 
great  doctrine  of  the  Word  of  God,  or  its  general  scope,  we 
should  seek  for  an  interpretation  which  will  not  conflict 
with  those  passages,  which  are  clear  and  unmistakable  in 
their  meaning.  It  must  be  confessed,  that  to  expound  the 
texts  in  1  Cor.  and  in  1  Tim.,  so  as  to  bring  them  into  har¬ 
mony  with  other  texts  and  facts  which  we  have  quoted**^, 
a  task  which  has  perplexed  many  an  honest  reader  of  the  * 
Bible.  Many  of  our  most  learned  and  reliable  Commen¬ 
tators  hold,  that  in  all  religious  meetings  the  prohibition  on 
the  tongues  of  women  is  absolute  and  universal.  Others  of 
equal  learning  and  piety  suppose  the  prohibition  to  extend 
only  to  the  assumption  of  the  office  of  pastor,  or  leader,  or 


9 


i 

< 

\ 


( 


✓ 

expounder,  in  religious  assemblies.  Others  again  argue 
that  it  forbade  females  to  speak  and  pray,  except  when 
under  the  immediate  inspiration  of  the  Spirit,  founding  their 
argument  on  the  assumption  that  women  are  recognized  as 
praying  and  prophesying  under  such  influence.  And  others 
still  believe  that  the  prohibition  was  local  and  temporary, 
and  applicable  only  to  certain  abuses  of  speech  among  the 
females  of  the  Corinthian  and  Ephesian  churches.  Now 
with  all  these  conflicting  opinions,  howr  can  we  settle  the 
question?  “  Who  shall  decide  when  doctors  disagree  ?” 

Macknight  argues  that  the  prohibition  is  absolute  ;  and, 
to  avoid  conflict  with  1  Cor.,  11  :  4,  5,  13,  where  specific 
instructions  are  given  to  women  in  relation  to  head-dresses 
when  praying  or  speaking  in  public,  he  holds  that  in  this 
case  the  Apostle  only  condemned  the  manner  of  speaking, 
which  was  not  inconsistent  with  his  afterwards  condemning 
the  act  altogether.  But  such  a  distinction  appears  unworthy 
of  the  dignity,  the  honesty  and  the  inspiration  of  Paul. 

But  as  it  is  incompatible  with  the  design  of  a  brief  essay 
to  examine  the  many  and  conflicting  opinions  which  have 
been  offered  on  this  subject,  we  will  simply  suggest  a  few 
thoughts,  and  leave  the  matter  to  the  examination  and  elu¬ 
cidation  of  those  who  have  more  time  and  ability  to  expound 
it.  It  is  a  well-known  fact,  that  in  ancient  times,  and 
afffong  the  Oriental  nations,  women  suffered  under  great 
'  (inabilities.  Everywhere  they  were  regarded  as  inferior  to 
in4n.  They  were  the  objects  of  his  capricious  passions. 
Their  mental  and  moral  education  was  neglected.  Custom 
kept  them  close,  and  prejudice  forbade  them  to  appear  in 
public  as  legislators  or  orators  or  teachers.  Of  course  they 
were  ignorant  and  degraded. 

Did  Paul,  in  view  of  the  character  of  the  females  in 
Corinth  and  Ephesus ,  and  in  view  of  the  strong  Grecian 
prejudices  against  their  public  demonstrations  ;  in  view  also 
scandalous  irregularities  which  female  speaking 
had  introduced  into  their  public  worship,  feel  constrained  to 
forbid  the  practice  in  these  churches  l  Or  did  he  forbid  it 
in  all  churches  and  for  all  time  ?  We  have  seen  how  the 
latter  supposition  conflicts  with  other  passages  of  Scripture, 
and  with  recorded  facts.  When  the  Apostle  says,  “  I  suffer 
not  a  woman  to  teach,"  &c.,  we  all  know  that  this  interdiction 


10 


cannot  be  absolute  and  universal.  There  have  not  been 
wanting  examples  in  all  ages  where  women  have  taught 
men — and  kings,  even,  have  sometimes  received  council  and 
instruction  from  females.  And  this  has  been  true  under  the 
eye  of  Apostles  and  in  all  ages  of  the  Christian  church. 
Priscilla  taught  the  eloquent  and  popular  Apollos;  and  a 
thousand  other  ministers  and  Christian  men  are  under  deep 
obligations  to  females  for  counsels  and  instructions  in  all 
that  is  good.  We  do  allow  females  to  teach  men  individ¬ 
ually  and  collectively,  publicly  and  privately,  in  art,  in 
science,  in  literature,  in  manners,  in  social  and  domestic 
economy,  and  in  all  the  virtues  which  refine  and  adorn  the 
man,  the  citizen  and  the  Christian. 

We  allow  her  to  speak  to  our  sons  directly  and  emphat¬ 
ically,  on  the  great  theme  of  salvation  by  Christ.  Thous¬ 
ands  of  females  are  now  teaching  and  preaching  with  great 
power  in  the  Sabbath  and  common  school,  in  the  seminary, 
the  Bible  class;  in  the  halls  of  science  and  in  the  most 
sacred  places  of  concourse.  They  teach  and  read  and 
speak  in  the  presence  of  large  and  mixed  assemblies,  no 
man  forbidding  them.  Can  we  then,  consistently,  forbid 
them  to  open  their  lips  in  the  little  prayer-meeting  and  the 
place  of  religious  worship  ?  Is  it  a  sin  for  which  a  Christian 
sister  must  be  reproved,  or  despised,  or  crushed — to  ask  a 
question,  to  offer  a  suggestion,  to  venture  a  reflection  or  ai; 
exhortation,  or  to  pour  out  the  desires  of  her  heart  in  pray*;” 
in  that  dearest  and  most  intimate  of  all  family  circles, 
where  there  is  neither  Greek  nor  Jew,  neither  bond  or  free, 
neither  male  or  female  ? 

In  the  old  Jewish  Synagogues,  it  was  a  custom  for  the 
men  to  question  their  priests,  or  leaders,  or  rabbis,  on  the 
doctrines  presented.  The  hearers  were  allowed  to  present 
objections  to  what  they  did  not  comprehend  ;  and  it  is  said 
that  they  sometimes  entered  into  disputes  and  altercations  in 
their  religious  assemblies.  This  practice  was  tolerated^’" 
the  men ,  but  strictly  forbidden  in  the  women.  Now  some 
suppose,  and  not  without  appearance  of  reason,  that  this 
practice  having  been  introduced  into  the  churches  of  Ephe¬ 
sus  and  Corinth,  the  women  also,  under  the  impression  that 
Christianity  removed  all  restrictions  in  these  matters  from 
their  sex,  entered  freely  into  disputes  and  altercations  with 


11 


the  leaders  of  their  religious  worship;  and  these  irregulari¬ 
ties  and  indecorums,  like  the  feasting  and  drunkenness  at 
the  Lord’s  Supper,  brought  scandal  and  contempt  upon  the 
Christian  name,  and  led  the  Apostle  to  prohibit  that  kind  of 
dictation  and  usurpation.  And  this  may  explain  the  re¬ 
markable  language  of  Paul — “1  suffer  not  a  woman  to  teach 
or  to  usurp  authority  over  the  men  i.  e.,  she  is  not  to 
become  disputative  and  dictatorial — but  to  be  modest,  retir¬ 
ing,  quiet  and  docile,  “as  also  saith  the  lavy:”  Gen.,  3:  16, 
“Thy  desire  shall  be  to  thy  husband,  and  he  shall  rule  over 
thee.”  In  case  a  female  saw  objections  to  a  doctrine 
advanced  in  a  public  meeting,  it  would  be  more  decorous, 
and  in  better  keeping  with  her  sex  and  condition,  to  wait 
until  she  returned  to  her  home,  and  there  she  was  at  liberty 
to  raise  questions  and  argue  witn  her  husband  to  her  satis¬ 
faction.  This  course  would  avoid  offending  the  taste, 
arousing  the  prejudices,  or  disturbing  the  order  of  religious 

/ssemblies. 

If  these  suggestions  are  founded  in  fact,  our  whole  diffi¬ 
culty  is  removed,  and  consistency  and  harmony  arise  where 
there  was  apparent  inconsistency  and  conflict.  If  this  pro¬ 
hibition  of  Paul  was  local  and  temporary,  and  if  it  referred 
only  to  certain  disputatious  and  scandalous  practices  in 

*in  churches,  well  understood  by  those  to  whom  these 
les  were  addressed,  but  misunderstood  or  dimiy  per- 
;d  by  us,  then  our  great  difficulty  is  removed,  and  we 
see  that  there  is  no  inconsistency  in  the  great  Apostle,  when 
he  forbids  and  when  he  recognizes  the  speaking  of  females 
in  religious  assemblies.  Nor  is  there  any  conflict  with  the 
many  recorded  facts  both  in  Scripture,  and  in  the  early 
fathers  and  historians  of  the  church,  in  relation  to  the 
prayers  and  the  labors  of  pious  females  in  building  up  the 
|.  kingdom  of  Christ  in  the  world. 

Under  this  view,  very  many  excellent  and  spiritual 
Tes  would  be  relieved  from  that  painful  antagonism, 
which,  on  the  one  hand,  presses  the  heart  and  conscience 
,into  a  certain  course  of  labor  for  the  souls  of  men,  and  on 
the  other,  holds  them  back  under  the  fear  of  man,  the  dread 
of  scorn,  and  the  apprehension  of  creating  disputes  and  con¬ 
tentions  in  the  church  of  Christ.  Such  a  view  would  also 
/relieve  a  multitude  of  pious  and  conscientious  ministers  and 


12 


Christians  who  see  that  the  discreet  labors  of  females  have 
always  been  blessed  in  the  edification  and  comfort  of  many 
saints  and  in  the  conversion  of  sinners ;  and  who  can  per¬ 
ceive  no  consistent  reason  why  a  woman  may  speak  in  pro¬ 
miscuous  assemblies  on  any  other  subject,  while  she  must  be 
silent  on  the  all  important  one ;  and  whose  only  difficulty 
is,  the  apparently  decisive  prohibition  of  Paul  in  his  letters 
to  Timothy  and  the  Corinthian  church. 

It  is  certainly  a  very  practical  question,  and  one  which 
affects  the  hearts  of  millions;  and  it  should  be  examined 
with  candor,  docility,  forbearance,  and  Christian  meekness, 
by  all  who  may  differ  in  opinion  on  the  subject. 

May  the  Lord  guide  us  into  all  truth,  and  so  assist  us  by 
His  good  Spirit,  that,  while  each  one  shall  be  fully  per¬ 
suaded  as  to  his  own  personal  duty,  all  may  keep  “  the 
unity  of  the  Spirit  and  the  bonds  of  peace.” 

We  close  with  two  practical  remarks  : 

1.  Where  females,  who  believe  it  right  to  speak  and  pray 
in  promiscuous  meetings,  are  surrounded  by  brethren  and 
sisters  who  think  otherwise,  and  who  would  be  grieved  or 
offended  with  the  practice,  it  may  be  wise  to  abstain  from 
this  right.  Paul  says,  “  All  things  are  lawful  for  me,  but 
all  things  are  not  expedient .”  And  he  would  abstain  even 
from  harmless  meat  rather  than  grieve  a  brother. 

2.  Where  one  is  present  at  a  meeting  in  which  Chrisf1-  n 

sisters  speak  and  pray,  it  were  better  to  be  quiet  and  IfFjyi 
than  to  indulge  in  censorious  feelings  or  language,  or  to 
leave  the  assembly  because  of  opposite  opinions.  Such 
demonstrations  are  of  a  doubtful  character,  and  they  appear 
inconsistent  with  that  charity  which  suffers  long,  and  which 
thinketh  no  evil.  “Let  all  your  things  be  done  with 
charity.”  Seek  “  the  unity  of  the  Spirit .”  Agree  to  differ . 
Think  more  of  unity  and  less  of  unijormity.  “  Be  kindly 
affectioned,  forbearing  one  another  in  love,”  and  “The  God 
of  peace  shall  be  with  you.”  -v 

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